Dota 2 receives the New Frontiers update: the map is 40% larger, there is a new type of hero and much more

Dota 2, one of the most popular games on Steam that today will record a peak of 600,000 players without breaking a sweat, has received a major update called New Frontiers that aims to redefine the gameplay of the veteran MOBA developed by Valve. The 7.33 update notes With all the new stuff, including details of the new map, gameplay changes, matchmaking and UI changes, and hero adjustments, it’s over 15,000 words (and nearly 50 pages).

The main new feature of the New Frontiers update concerns the map, which is now 40% larger. “The Dota map has expanded immensely. The main objective of the game is the same; the paths are not farther from each other and everything you need to win is still in the center of the map ”, explains Valve. “However, with 40% more terrain, there is plenty of room to gather new resources and discover new strategies. The two main jungles have been completely reconfigured, radically changing vision layout, evasion points, farming, and much more.”

Some of the most notable changes are:

• Roshan now has two moats.
• The twin doors allow you to teleport between the top and bottom lane. Roshan also uses them to move between his pits.
• Lotus Fountains are located on the left and right sides of the map. These sources grant fruits that give mana and life.
• Tormentors, two neutral creeps, spawn near each base after 20 minutes and both have Aghanim Shards.
• There are 8 vigilantes scattered around the map that once activated grant vision in the area for six minutes or until enemies sabotage it.
• Defender’s Gates: A rear gate at the base to sneak around behind.
• Two new runes. Wisdom Runes grant bonus EXP and Shield Runes provide a 50% max health barrier.
• 12 new creep camps.
• There are two new outposts and the original ones have been moved.

The New Frontiers update also includes major gameplay changes, one of the most notable being the introduction of a new type of hero. These are universal heroes, “a new core stat group made up of existing heroes that now gain 0.6 damage from each stat of any attribute,” Valve explains. Some of the heroes that are now part of this category are: Abaddon, Chen, Bane, Broodmother, Enigma, Void Spirit, Phoenix, Lone Druid, Marci, Nyx Assassin, Techies, and Vengeful Spirit.

There are also changes to the Rod of the Black King, a change to neutral item drops, and changes to the heroes. All have been balanced, but some have undergone more adjustments than others.

Regarding the matchmaking system, Dota 2 will stop using a modified version of the Elo algorithm to implement changes to ranks and rank confidence. Instead, the title relies on an algorithm called Glicko, “with which you should find games with players of your level quickly,” says Valve. “Mathematically, Glicko allows us to better account for a player’s range confidence level in the calculations, which leads to more accurate decisions about rank gains and losses.”

Finally we have the changes in the interface. Here the most important novelty is the life bars that now show much more information, including the types of shields.